


Circle of Friends

by Tripp1138Dreamer



Series: Pepper Ann: High School [1]
Category: Pepper Ann (Cartoon)
Genre: 2010s, Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Canon Continuation, Canon Rewrite, F/M, Gen, References to Canon, Rewrite, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:48:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27488362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tripp1138Dreamer/pseuds/Tripp1138Dreamer
Summary: Pepper Ann Pearson, Milo Kamalani, Nicky Little, and Brenda Naylor, the former's Cubby Buddy are about to get the shock of their lives when they volunteer for the summer camp known as the Circle of Friends when the honor student at Our Lady of Walnut, Didi O'Shaunassy, finally meets the redhead. What is about to come includes finding true loves, learning why their friendships are important, some fun, both teaching and learning, and the surprises of their lives.
Series: Pepper Ann: High School [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559416





	Circle of Friends

Okay, I just thought I had let you understand what I am going to be writing.

To be safe, I will give you the basics: this is a new fanfic series based on an animated series, which had aired on both ABC's _One Saturday Morning_ , finished on UPN's _One Too_ , shown in repeats on Disney Channel and Toon Disney for years, and has been circulated online, though not on Disney+, it is gaining recognition in recent years: _Pepper Ann_.

It was created by Sue Rose and with the help of writers, artists, and directors such as Nahnatchka Khan, Tom Warburton, Scott McGimple, David Hemmingson, Mirith J.S. Calao, Laura McCreary, Matthew Negrete, Mo Rocca, and Emily Kapnek, Sherie Pollack and Brad Goodchild, created a good series which started on September 13, 1997, and ended on November 18, 2000.

I thought I would show you a re-written version of my introduction, with some vital changes for good measure.

Anyway, there are things that I want to clear up before I start the fan stories.

Okay, this is something I have to tell you, but what you are about to read is a new take on the '90s cartoon, _Pepper Ann_. But first, a few things to clear up: There are many contradictions to things that are seen in the backstory of the show and the show itself. (e.g.: Milo Kamalani's hat is said to have been given to him by his mother or it was given to him by Nicky, as the latter found redemption for her bullying ways, one season, she's on the soccer team, another season, she's given a few weeks on the football team at Hazelnut Middle School, and so forth!)

The series takes place in the late-2010s and early-2020s, not the 1990s, as this is an Alternate Universe with the Canon seen in a new way.

For example, Pepper Ann's aunt, Janie, had served in Afghanistan for seven months in 2001-02... even though her husband begged her not to go there. This traumatized her for a while, but she found redemption over the while. Nicky got help for her bullying ways, but that will come back to haunt her in future chapters of the series itself! Some characters will get redemption in the backstory for this take as well as the take itself.  
  
Most of the series happens in this AU, differently, but some of the events don't happen because there's so much dated material in the episodes, especially "The Finale," both for that reason, and even if it did unleash all her fury, I think that in my honest opinion, the idea of a mean and hateful letter to the school was way too much. I am going to write a bittersweet ending for them. Even though I am not telling you that yet, it will be a much kinder fate for her and the characters.

And they will be in high school. Her hyper and overbearing Cubby Buddy from the episode, "Old Best Friend," Brenda will be with them, though I will give her the surname "Naylor." New characters will be part of the storyline: one of them is a struggling writer in his early twenties living with his parents who sympathizes with her at times. He has slight autism, loves films, but is worried about life not to mention he has got difficulty making friends. He finds a muse within them. And he also gets friends more his age, among others. His name is Isaac Kendrick. There are smartphones, laptops, social media, and tablet computers, among other things.

There will probably be some stories about them for this take. Again, this is both an alternate version of the Pepper Ann TV series and a continuation, a quasi-reboot of sorts, even though I honestly despise the word, "reboot." Yet, the best way to put this version is a remix, moving the period of some or most of the events of the original series' events from the 1990s to the 2010s, again, completely ignoring all of the events of "The Finale,” and the alternate version of the original series will have taken place, not in the 7th grade, but the 8th grade, because I started to ponder thinking about this scenario: Pepper Ann Pearson, Milo Kamalani, Brenda Naylor, the girl from Old Best Friend, and Nicky Little being 8th graders in "Sketch 22," you know, the clothing style, the fun they have and how hard they work, you know, the ups and downs, and the height. In the opening locker scene from that episode, look carefully: to prove a point, it shows that the 8th graders are a bit taller than the 7th graders. You know, puberty and all that.

There will be some flashback episodes showing that period from time to time. And in those episodes, in this version, the four will be 8th graders, in height, with elements from the original and alternate clothing styles mixed with the ups and downs of maturity, done as familiar yet fresh as possible.

Plus, I will be mixing the social commentary, the quirkiness, surrealist fun, and humor of the show with darker and more mature elements. By the way, I added "Naylor," as Brenda's last name in honor of British television writer, Doug Naylor, who, with fellow writer, Rob Grant, created _Red Dwarf_ , a cult science-fiction comedy television series. Plus, as she is quite wacky at times, I thought that "Naylor" was a perfect surname for her.

"Uniform, Uniformity" and "In Support Of" are retconned as dreams she had. In the case of “In Support Of,” for this case, after that dream, she asks what support means instead of completely missing the point, sparing her from so much trouble. The episode is said to be very controversial, anyway, not to mention the continuity errors about her not knowing the lingerie shop owner, Margot LeSandre, when the other episodes say that they are rivals, later friends. I will tell you about “Uniform, Uniformity,” at the end of this introduction.

Most of the series happened, but this is part of an obviously AU world, as the events took place in the mid-2010s... sometime before the government went into complete chaos. And Didi O'Shaunassy is from the episode, "Doppelganger Didi." There is more to her than you think. It was basically my idea. The ideas about Brenda in recent years came from me, as well as her last name, Naylor. Thought it was a good name, after Doug Naylor, the British sitcom writer and co-creator/writer of the science fiction sitcom and obvious influence on _Futurama_ , the show being _Red Dwarf._ And I think since she is such a hyper girl, she would be a cheerleader.

The design for Didi O'Shaunassy in the fan stories came from Tumblr artist bluestar_bs, who I have heard from Twitter. She looks like Pepper Ann after all... except for three differences: her purple shirt has a star on it, she is already in puberty more than her cousin and her ponytail is different than Pepper Ann's. Do not forget, the things Didi O'Shaunassy do: she dreams of being a veterinarian, cries during golf, etc. will be vital to the stories, too.

I had pondered writing it for a while, but I just had problems with my writing, say, self-doubt.

But I had some ideas: there is this huge girl, Effie Shrugg, who would be a whole lot bigger when she gets older. She keeps explaining the "ubermensch," a.k.a. the Overman in the episode "Effie Shrugged." She almost turns Pepper Ann into a bully like her, but she leaves town after she tells her off. She is reformed in this take, having learned the error of her ways. And I should mention this: the love of Moose and Sean will be in this story. There will be further characterizations along the way. And not just Brenda Naylor, but also the others such as Vanessa and Tessa, Constance and Deiter, Pete Ogilvy, unfortunately, referred to as "Pink-Eye Pete" (unlike the show, he got his pinkeye by accident, but don't worry, I'll find a way to make sure he's cured of it in the story and he will get sympathy and support from many of the characters), plus a whole list of characters I've worked on a year or two ago such as the teenagers in "Sketch 22" and "One of the Guys," just to name a few.

Again, "Uniform, Uniformity" and "In Support Of" will be written off as bad dreams, the setting of the stories will be in the late-2010's and early-2020's, the events of the original series, actually, most of them will be set during their eighth-grade year. The details I had in this will be in the story. I will also be writing a new version of "Circle of Friends" to help start the new series. Plus, I have got plans for characterizations on Craig Bean and Stewart Waldinger, as well.

Hazelnut has a hell of a lot of mysteries about the people. Another example is the mysterious Crying Girl. The name of her is a mystery, but I think there is more to them than it meets the eye, you know what I mean? Plus, in this take, Trinket St. Blaire, a rich girl in the series, one of the popular crowd, transfers to Lycée D'ecole, one of the elite all-girls schools in Filbert (a town where Brenda Naylor came from in the Pepper Ann universe and the universe of my stories) like in "Bye Bye Trinket," but she stays there. Times change, technology changes a lot.

Yet, I have ideas from that episode to reveal more that she is a very lonely girl. I have got some other ideas for her, and maybe, Cissy Rooney, her friend, is only pretending to be an idiot because she is hiding something.

Plus, in a possible AU, Pepper Ann, Nicky, Milo, and Brenda will be part of what turns out to be the discovery of superhuman teenagers, as they discover their new powers, and try to use them for good, with help from Lydia Pearson and Isaac Kendrick, just to name a few, with the latter also chronicling the adventures, writing a whole slate of stories and screenplays. So, I am leaving behind this, but I will not be leaving behind the things I have already written, but despite some changes, there will be so much more to come. I will be adding more work to it, such as adding more about the world over the years and a sort-of magic realism. I will be writing more stories. The superhuman storyline may or may not connect to the stories.

And now, I will tell you that there is a reason that the events of “Uniform, Uniformity” are a dream: in the episode, because of the uniforms, what makes them stand out are not the clothes, but their traits. That is the main reason they begin to get along, and the school becomes friendlier. Okay, in recent months, I really have started to wish they did more of that on the show, in any case, further characterizations would have been possible. It is just too good for one episode. The best thing about fanfiction is that it shows that people change. And I want to also have that element for my stories.

My influences will also include the _**incredible** Phineas and Ferb_ fanfiction which was written by two great writers, KicsterAsh and Lowrider, such as _Sick Streak, The Seer,_ and _Summer of Love_ , respectively. More influences will be revealed soon.

So to wrap this up, two words and two words alone: _**Get ready!**_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have more changes and starts of a few stories on Evernote that will be written over the next few months.


End file.
